Tour Itinerary
Below is a basic outline of our itinerary for the tour. This is not a detailed itinerary, but it does include some of the major highlights of the trip. Occasionally we will adjust the itinerary upon request to include sites of personal interest to participants in the tour.
Day 1. London
We will start off our tour in the heart of England’s capital city. We’ll see many of London’s most famous sites from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey to St. Paul’s Cathedral. London is not only the center of England’s political and national life, but it is also full of rich church history. Several of England’s greatest theologians and preachers called London home at one time or another and we’ll explore many sites connected to their lives and ministries.
Day 2. London
Our second day in London will begin with a visit to the Metropolitan Tabernacle where the ‘Prince of Preachers,’ C.H. Spurgeon ministered for over 30 years. We’ll also see Bunhill Fields where many famous Puritans are buried, such as John Bunyan, Thomas Goodwin, and John Owen. We’ll then pop in just across the street to the John Wesley House and Museum. This day of the tour will also include a free afternoon for those who’d like to step away from the tour for a few hours to visit places of personal interest.
Day 3. Essex & Suffolk
Essex and Suffolk formed a stronghold of Puritanism in the 16th and 17th centuries. We’ll visit churches associated with the ministries of men like John Owen, Jeremiah Burroughs, and John Rogers. We’ll also visit the birthplace of C.H. Spurgeon, as well as the small Methodist chapel in Colchester where Spurgeon was converted. In addition, we’ll take in some of the beautiful English countryside and stop off in a few of the most picturesque villages in East Anglia.
day 4. Cambridge
This university town has been one of the vital centers of English religious life for centuries. The many famous colleges and churches of Cambridge were home to some of England’s greatest popular preachers such as William Perkins, Richard Sibbes, and Charles Simeon. Here in Cambridge we’ll visit King’s College as well as the original site of the famous White Horse Inn meetings where the English Reformation was said to have had its beginnings. Also, weather permitting, we may even go punting along the River Cam!
day 5. bedford & olney
The former was the home of John Bunayn; the latter, of John Newton and William Cowper. In and around Bedford we’ll see some of the sites that inspired Bunyan’s masterpiece, The Pilgrim’s Progress. We’ll also make a visit to the John Bunyan Museum. We’ll then take a drive over to Olney, the quaint town that was the center of John Newton’s early pastoral ministry alongside the troubled but brilliant poet and hymn-writer, William Cowper.
days 6 & 7. oxford
With its august buildings and rich intellectual heritage, Oxford is an historian’s delight! This university town is home to the famous Martyrs memorial where Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer were burned at the stake under the reign of Queen Mary I (‘Bloody Mary’). Oxford was also home to C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the other members of the famous ‘Inklings’ club. Our tour will include a stop at the Eagle and Child where the club used to meet as well as a visit to C.S. Lewis’ home, The Kilns, just a few miles outside of the town centre.
day 8. Gloucestershire
In this gorgeous county west of Oxford we will see villages and churches connected to the reformer Thomas Cranmer, the evangelical preacher George Whitfield, and the hymn-writer Benjamin Beddome. We will conclude the day with a tour of Gloucester Cathedral where we may even be able to participate in a traditional evensong service.
day 9. The Cotswolds
Words like ‘idyllic’ and ‘picturesque’ do not begin to capture the beauty and charm of the Cotswolds, a broad network of villages west of London. Here we’ll take in our fair share of beautiful English gardens, thatched-roof cottages, and quiet country lanes. We’ll see sites that have inspired many of England’s poets and authors, and some that have been featured in various films. We’ll also visit some locations connected to the life of William Tyndale.
day 10. Windsor Castle
The final day of the tour will begin with a visit to Salisbury Cathedral which is the tallest cathedral in England and is home to one of the four extant copies of the Magna Carta. We will then spend the afternoon touring one of the homes of the royal family, and the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, the magnificent Windsor Castle. Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, Windsor has been home to 39 of England’s monarchs, and is where the Queen spends most of her private weekends.